2017 Events
2017 Shine Celebration
Early Learner Graduation
Third Grade Graduation
2017 Spring Luncheon
May 17, 2017 – Thank you to all who attended our luncheon for supporting our mission to ensure every child is born healthy, stays healthy, and is prepared to succeed in school and life.
As Dr. Gearity indicated (slides available here), studies show a strong correlation between a child’s overall physical and mental health, and how well they are able to perform in school socially, emotionally, and academically. By third grade, this performance often predicts how likely he or she is to graduate from high school, and go on to college. Way to Grow helps give children a strong start by connecting some of our city’s most isolated families to the resources they need and establish a more secure position at home, in school, and within the community.
Advocacy for Children Day 2017
March 2, 2017
Ready for Kindergarten
January 26, 2017 – Way to Grow hosted a special event to help families find, select, and enroll their children in school. The Ready for Kindergarten event, open to the public, reminded parents the importance of serving as their child’s first teacher and number one advocate. “When choosing a school, finding a good fit really comes down to parents knowing and advocating for what their children need,” Hannah Peterson, Director of Education at Way to Grow says. “It is also about building a strong partnership between schools, parents, and the community to best support each child–another point we really wanted parents to come away with.”
The Ready for Kindergarten event also allowed space for parents to ask questions and participate in group discussion topics. Many families were particularly interested in learning more about Minneapolis Public School dual-language program offerings and overall school registration requirements. Parents also received checklists on what to look for when touring a school, and on key school-readiness skills their child should have by the time they start school (based on the state’s new Early Childhood Indicators of Progress). In support of these skills, the community session also highlighted activities parents can do at home with their children, such as those outlined by the City’s Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing program and included in Way to Grow’s home visiting curriculum, to ensure their children enter school this fall ready to succeed.
2016 Events
2016 Shine Celebration
October 28, 2016 – Thank you to everyone who helped make our 2016 Shine Celebration such an amazing success! We sincerely appreciate all the work done by volunteers, table sponsors, and our dedicated staff. A special thank you to guest speaker, Dr. Steve Perry, all the silent and live auction donors, sponsors, and all those who attended. It’s only with your support that we are able to serve our families. View all of the fun photo booth photos here. We hope to see you again next year!
Early Learner Graduation
August 13, 2016 – Congratulations to all our Early Learner Graduates!
Meet the Scholar
June 22, 2016 – Check out photos from our Meet the Scholar event!
2016 Spring Luncheon
April 28, 2016 – The Way to Grow Spring Luncheon took place in the beautiful Skyline Room at the Walker Art Center this year. The event was a huge success thanks to our wonderful guests and speakers. Read More.